Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
Gity Limits
8,008
TbU figure for Greater Kings Mountain Is derived from
the 1955 Kings Mountain city directory census. The city
limits figure Is bom the United States census of 1960.
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
VOL 72 No. 32
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, August 17, 1961
Seventy-Second Year
Pages
Today
PRICE TEN CENTS
Local News
Bulletins
REGISTRATION
New studenfts who will enter
the high school this fall are
encouraged toy Principal Har
ry Jaynes to register prior to
opening day, particularly those
who have recently moved into
the community.
OPTIMIST
The Optimist Club of Kings
Mountain will meet in regular
weekly session Thursday at
7:30 P. M. ait Grace Methodist
Church felowship hall.
NO FIRES
Oily Fireman T. C McKee
said Wednesday morning the
department had no alarms du
ring the past week.
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter reoeipts for
the week ending Wednesday at
noon totaled $122.45, including
$96.15 from on-street meters,
$14 from over-parking fees,
and $12.30 from off-street me
ters, City Clerk Joe H. McDan
iel, Jr., reported.
AUXILIARY MEETING
Officers of Otis D. Green
Post 155, the American Legion
Auxiliary, will be Installed at
the regular Thursday night
meeting at the home of Mrs. P.
G. Bafcterree, 404 West Gold
Street.
AT MONTREAT
Dr. and Mrs. Paul Ausley are
attending the Bible Conference
at Montreat this week. Dr. Aus
ley is pastor of First Presbyiter
church.
SESSION MEETING
New members will be receiv
ed at First Presbyterian church
Sunday morning in a special
meeting of the session at 10:30.
BROADCAST
Sunday morning worship ser
vices during the month of Au
gust wll be broadcast via Ra
dio Station WKMT-Jram
Gold Street, Wesleyan Metho
dist churdh.
Hedden, Phifei
In Dance Band
Joe C. Hedden, city schools
band director, :and Wendell Phi
fer, Jr., string bass, are members
of a newly organized 15-piece
dance orchestra wearing the title
“Knights of Music.”
The orchestra, organized by
Dick Buse, personnel director of
Pittsburgh Plate Gloss Company,
will specialize in featuring the
(rythms of the thirties and early
forties.
The Kings Mountain band dir
ector is an aita saxophone play
er and two members of the ag
gregation are well-known in
Kings Mountain. Lewis Cathey,
of Gastonia, is a veteran band
master himself, remembered
here with his orchestra at Stag
Club dances In the late thirties
and early forties, and Reggie
Norris, trumpet, was a member
of the Calthey band of that era.
The orchestra, claiming to pro
duce "The Best Sound in Town
by the Best Band Around”, made
its debut last Friday night .at the
Cleveland Country Club.
Buse himself is not a musi
cian.
Other members at the band are
Homer Hawoitth; Shelby hand
director, trumpet, Don Dead,
Bessemer City band director, al
to saxophone; Bill McKee, Gas
tonia, tenor saxophone; Tony
Anthony, Gastonia; baritone sax
ophone; Leary Cloer, Gastonia,
trumpet; Frank Putnam, Shelby,
trumpet; Ted Gregory, Gastonia,
trombone; Clyde Moss, Gastonia,
piano; and Bob Trevarthen,
drums.
Future booking far the band
is an August 25 public dance,
[ at Shelby’s city park, a fund
raising project of the Shelby Jay
cees.
Linda Biser
With D. C. Paper
Miss Linda Biser, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Biser, is in
Washington, D. C., where she is
employed by the Washington
Post and Times-Herald as a copy
girl.
Miss Biser, a rising senior at
University of North Carolina
School of Journalism worked
part-time at the Herald during
her senior year in high school
and during the following sum
mer. Until she went to Washing
ton, she had been a reporter for
the Shelby Daily Star.
Miss Biser will return to Cha-j
i pel Hill In September, her fath-,
|er said. 1
>. i . -i ____
BETHWAKh FAIR QUtFN —_ Miss Judy Watterson has heen named
Miss Bethware Fail of 1961. Miss Watterson, an honor student at
Bethware high school, is a rising senior. She is a daughter of Mrs.
Will Watterson and the late Mr, Watterson.
LIONS SPEAKER_Senator Ro
bert Morgan of Shelby will ad
dress Kings Mountain Lions at
their Tuesday night meeting at
7 o'clock at the Woman's club.
The program has been arranged
by J. Oliie Harris.
WIN .BERMUDA TRIP
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L.
Trott have won a trip ito Ber
muda in October, result of a
contest conducted by Maryland
Life Insurance of Baltimore
and won by Mr. Trott, insur
ance agent for the company.
Other insurance agenits qualify
ing and their wives will join
■them on the trip.
Annual Event
Is Prelude
To 14th Fan
Members of Beihware Jhsogres
si vie Club will be host* next Wed
nesday at the annual pre-Fair
barlbeeue to catalog advertisers
and other friends of the fair.
(Barbecue dinner will be served
from 5:30 to 7:30 at BetlAvare
school, Secretary Frank Hamrick
announced.
The Progressive Club, sponsor
of the fair, have entertained at
barbecue dinners each fair year.
This will be the fourteenth.
IMr. Hamrick also announced
that the Cleveland County Life
Saving and Rescue Squad, Inc.,
will he in charge of food conces
sions at the September 13-16
event, and that the Cleveland
County Auxiliary police squad
will be in charge of auto parking
'Mr. Hamrick also urged area
farmers to make plans for ex
hibiting at the fair and for com
peting for the long list of prize
awards and he invited would-be
commercial exhibitors to contact
him for space reservations.
'Miss Judy Watterson, Beth
ware High School honor student
and a rising senior, has been
named Queen of the forthcom
ing fair. She is a daughter of
Mrs. Will Watterson and the
late Mr. Watterson. Until his
death, Mr. Watterson was a
member of the Bethware Pro
gressive Club and frequent fair
official.
City Contracts Electrical Survey,
Completion Date Is Mid-December
A survey of Kings Mountain’s
electrical distribution system was
approved by city commissioners
Thursday night and will begin
immediately. The survey is
scheduled lor completion by mid
December.
Mayor Kelly Dixon comment
ed, in presenting the proposal
lor the survey, “The city’s elec
trical system is in critical condi
tion and we are in the position
that we must Wave someone toi
tell us what to do about it."
The survey, contracted to1
Southeastern Consulting Engi
neers, Inc., of Charlotte, will cost
the city $3,500.
Kay D. Conn and Frank Stone,
representing the engineering
firm outlined a detailed survey
proposal. .The survey will in
clude:
1) Plotting present facilities
on a map, outlining circuits, sec
ondaries and loads carried.
2« A study report ol the en
tire present electrical system,
noting overloads and weak areas.
The consulting engineers will
then map out as many as six or
more functional systems which
jrouid solve the city’s electrical
(Continued On Page 8J
CHAPLAIN _ Iter. H. -5. Gar
mon, pastor of Central Methodist;
church and chaplain of the
Kings Mountain fire department
was elected chaplain of the
North Carolina Firemen's Asso
ciation and of the Fire Chief's
Association at the 74th
conference of Fire Chiefs in
Goldsboro last weekend.
School Pupil Assignment Plan Detailed
C Of C Supports
Water Rate Cut
Blanton Says !
Industry-Getting
Would Be Aided
BY DAVID BAITY
Reduction of water rates to
outslide-city industrial users was
requested of city commissioners
Thursday night by Paul Ledford, j
former city commissioner and
employee of Massachusetts Mo
Hair Plush Co., and Charles Blan
ton, president of Kings Moun
tain Chamber of Commerce.
(Mr. Blanton, in presenting his
request, noted that he did not
know (Mr. Ledford would be
present for the same purpose. I
Blanton said he was present to
promote a favorable industrial
climate for the Kings Mountain
business comanunity—-for present
industries and also for prospec
tive ones.
Noting the 50 per cent higher
rate for wafer sold outside the
city, he commented ‘‘Kings
Mountain hasn’t a particularly
low rate in city or out, compar
ed with neighboring communi
ties.”
He said, according to a survey
made recently, a new business
locating in a Kings Mountain sub
urban community would pay
practically twice the water bill it
would, if .it located outside Shel
by.
Mr. Ledford, in his comments,
noted amply that he felt outside
dty rates were excessive and
would like to see them pared. He
said the rates are not conducive
to obtaining new industry and
added that new industry would
bring more revenue to Kings
Mountain than water profits.
City Clerk Joe McDaniel lists
the principal outside-city indus
trial water user as Massachu
setts Mohair Plush Co. with a
consumption rate ranging from
tour to nearly six million gallons
per month.
He notes the firm’s water bill
ranges from $1200 to $1800 per
month.
'A one-time good customer-was
Foote Mineral Company, but Mc
Daniel said, the ta now con
sumes only from <one to fifteen
thousand gallons off water per
month—little more than used by
good residential customers.
The board agreed to a special
meeting at a later 'date to dis
cuss the proposal in full detail
With a Chamber of Commerce
committee and interested citizens
present.
Mayor's Office
R«ing Refurbished
Mayor Kelly Dixon was see
ing callers Wednesday at odd
City Hiall comers, and for good
reason. The mayoral office is be
ing renovated, with installation
of wainscoting, new ceiling, and
with fresh paint.
Other city work underway as
reported by the Mayor:
1) Installation of curb-and
girtter on Henry street will begin
Thursday.
2) Streets in school areas are
being re-painted with directional
and Other safety instructions in
anticipation of school opening. |
The Mayor -reported paving!
completed on Crescent Circle,
Mitchell street, and in the Da-:
vidson pool parking area.
He also reported the recrea
tion commission has installed
lights at the Davidson pool play
ground area.
Facts Are Listed
For Area Students
Area Students will use the
following entrances on open- .
ing day to secure registration '
information at the Kings I
Mountain Central plant.
Seniors: will enter the front !
door.
Juniors: will enter the East
student door.
Sophomores: will enter the
West student door.
Freshmen: wil use the cen- j
ter entrance in the vestibule ;
of the auditorium.
Eighth graders: will enter
through the North entrance,
doors near the playground.
CLOSE REGISTRATION
Trinity Day School will dose
registration to pre-school, first
grade and second grade on
Monday, August 21.
EAGLE SCOUT_Larry Patricio
son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence
Patrick, has been awarded the
Eagle Scout badge, highest a
ward in scouting.
Patrick Wins
Eagle Award
Henry Lawnmee. CMtrryl Pal'
''tick,'Jf.'was awarded the covet
ed rank of Eagle Scout at Thurs
day's Kings Mountain Count of
Honor meeting of the Piedmont
Boy Scout Council.
Young Patrick is 12 years old,
making the honor doubly re
warding for having earned his
Eagle ait such an early age. He
has been a Boy Scout 18 months
and in the period has earned his
ranks and 29 merit badges, eight
more than the required 21 for
the Eagie badge. He already has
the requirements for a Bronze
Palm award which he will recei
ve next January while still at
the age el 12.
!A member of Boy Scout Troop
1 of First .Presbyterian church,'te
serves as senior patrol leader. He
is a member of First Presbyter
ian church, an honor-roll school
student and will enter the seven
th grade this fall.
The oldest of three children,
young Patrick is the son of ’Mr.
and "Mrs. Lawrence Patrick. His
mother Is the former Mary Helen
Ham bright and his grandparents
are Mrs. G. D. Hambrighr. Kings
Mountain, and Rev. and Mrs. P.
D. Patrick, Decatur, Ga., former
ly of Kings Mountain.
Larry’s father received his
Eagle award in 1937 as a mem
ber of the same troop of whicb
he now serves as -troop chairman.
HenTy McKelvie is Troop 1
Scoutmaster and Manley Hayes
Us assistant Scoutmaster.
Member Drive
To Be launched
Otis D. Gisen 'Post 155, Arr*«ri
c; ji legion, will launch its 1962
membership campaign at a free
for-members-only barbecue sup
per at the post hall Saturday
night from Gt© 7:30 p~ m.
Announcement was made by
H. O. <Toby) Williams, vice
commander, who is ex-officio
chairman of the membership
campaign.
The post currently numbers
354 members, Adjutant Joe H.
McDaniel Jr., reports.
Vice-Commander Williams not
ed that any post member sign
ing as many as ten new or re-}
newal members for 1962 will
qualify for the Post Go-Getters
Club and be honored at a din
ner. In turn there are district and
state department awards await
ing posts who qualify for mem
bership campaign honors. Dues
are $4 per annum.
Veterans of World War I,
World War II, and the Korean
War are eligible for membership.
The inclusive dates are:
World War I—April 6, 1917, to
November 11, 1918.
(World. War II—December 7,
1941, to September 2, 1945.
Korean War—June 25, 1950, to
July 27, i960.
Alston Bridges will be caterer
for the dinner.
Resolution
Spells Out
Prior Plans
Kings Mountain board of edu
cation formalized by official re
solution Tuesday iits previously
announced pupil assignment
plan for the 1961-62 school term.
Principal changes from the
assignment plans of previous
years implement the consolida
tion of the merged Kings Moun
tain administrative unit’s two
high schools, the consolidated
high school at Kings Mountain
Central replacing Bethware, Gro
ver and Kings Mountain high
schools, and the consolidated!
high school at Compact replae
ing the former Compact and Da
vidson high schools.
Principal Hainry Jaynes of
Kings Mountain high school esti
mates an enrollment of more
than 800. up about 300 from the
former Rings Mountain high
school.
Principal L. L. Adams, ait Com
pact, anticipates an enrollment
of about 185 students at the mer
ged high school, including 105
from the former Compact school,
60-62 from the former Davidson
high schooll, and about 20 stu
dents , who, prior to the merger,
would have attended Washington
school.
The assignment plan anticipa
tes these school operations:
Central plant, eight eighth
grades and Grades 9-12.
Compact plant, grades 1-12.
Grover plant, grades 1-8.
Bethware plant, grades 1-8.
East plant, grades 1-7.
North plant, grades 1-7.
West plant, grades 1-6.
Davidson plant, grades 1-8.
Other major changes is, the
fadt that 1961 “graduates" of
West school are assigned to
Park Grace school.
Former Washington school e
lementary pupils, not yet com
pleting the eighth grade, will at
tend Davidson elementary.
The board noted that the state -
approved transportation plan
makes no provision for transpor
ting elementary pupils to Cen
tral school. Transportation will
be provided former West sixth
graders to Park Grace and form
er Davidson high school students
to Compact. Transportation of
former Washington pupils to as
signed schools will be provided,
as will be transportation arran
gements in vogue to other
schools last year.
Text of the board of education
resolution, published as a legal
notice of page 6, this section,
follows:
Children are assigned to the
same schools they attended last
year. Pre-school children are as
signed to the schools in which
they were registered. The follow
ing exceptions are made to this
assignment:
1. Children in grades 9 throu
gh 12 who last year attended
the Central School, Grover
School, Bethware School or have
registered to attend the Kings
Mountain High School axe as
signed to Kings Mountain High
School.
2. Children in grades 9 through
12 living in Kings Mountain Ad
ministrative Unit who last year
attended the Davidson School
and the Washington School or
have registered to attend the Da
vid s o n School, Washington
(Continued On Page 8)
Stadium Study
Committee Named
TO GRADUATE _ Ronald Lay-!
ton. of Kings Mountain will re
ceive his degree Friday from Ap
palachian State Teacher's coll
ege. He will join the Paw Creek
schools faculty this fall.
Layton To Win
College Degzee
Ronald Layton, son of Mr. and
Mrs. James Layton of Kings
Mountain, will receive his bac
helor of science degree Friday
from Appalichian State Teach
er’s college at Boone.
Mir. Layiton, a former three-let
ter sport star and president of
the student body alt Kings Moun
tain high school!, entered the Air
Force after high school gradua
tion and served a four-year Hour
of duty, (two of which were spent
in Japan. He has studied three
years at Appalachian and is re
ceiving his degree following the
summer school term just ended.
Mr. Layton, who has accepted
employment with Mecklenburg
County schools system, will tea
ch at Paw Creek in September.
He is married to the former Bar
bara Shirley of Fort Walton Bea
ch, Fla. and tthey have one son,
Kent, age two.
ARP's To Hear
Building Plans
Architect J. L. Beam of Cher
ryville will outline details of the
church’s current building pro
gram at Sunday morning ser
vices at Boyce Memorial ARP
church.
The church congregation will
gather for Sunday School and
worship services at West School
Boyce Memorial Associate Re
formed Presbyterian church has
plans for building on Edgemont
Avenue and Sunday’s report
from Mr. Beam will show the
first step in ithe building pro
gram, Grady Patterson, member
of the building committee, said.
Dr. and Mrs. Pressly, on va
cation the past week, will re
turn for the Sunday services and
J>r. Pressly will fill the pulpit at
Sunday services.
Eight Faculty Members Employed;
Schools Purchase Still Property
Kings Maintain School Boar<
members voted at a called meet
ing Tuesday to purchase a trao
of land adjoining Kings Moun
tain .High School property from
Mrs. Garland E. Still for $1900.
The board lias been negoti
sting with MrS. Still for the plo
for some montns and could no
agree oh price. A plat adjoinin'
both the Still and school proper
ty was purchased from Mrs. D
H. Houser for $1500 and Mrs
Stfll was offered the same foj
her lot.
'Negotiations failed and the
board instigated condemnation
procedures against the property
Jtfree months past.
Chairman Fred Plonk noted at
he meeting Tuesday that Mrs.
still has agreed to sell for $1900
md has produced a registered
Jeed for an additional triangu
ar plot which she feels merits
he additional $400 in price.
Chairman Plonk told the board
he condemnation procedure, if
>ursued, would cost the taxpay
ers the additional sum and the
school needs the property now.
He said the lot is a proposed
site for the pre fabricated build
ngis which will be used to house
(Continued On Page 8)
BELK'S MANAGER _ Bill H.
Brown assumed management oi
Belle's Department Store here
last week. The ten-year Belk's
veteran came to Kings Mountain
from the Mooresville store, where
he managed the boy's wear de
partment. He succeeds Hilton L.
i Ruth, manager of the Kings
Mountain firm since 1940.
Advisory Group
Includes Moss,
Rhea. Williams
BY MARTIN HARMON
Mayor Kelly Dixon appointed a
three-member city Stadium ad
visory committee Wednesday.
He named John Henry Moss,
president of the professional
Class D Western Carolina Lea
gue, J. E. (Zip) Rhea, Ward 5 city
commissioner, and H. O. (Toby)
Williams memlber of the Kings
Mountain district board of edu
cation to serve as a committee
to study stadium needs, and pos
sibilities, and to recommend im
provements, if feasible, to City
Stadium.
Possible improvements to City
Stadium would 'be in addition to
construction of a small fieldhouse,
which the city Commission has
already approved as a coopera
tive project with the Kings
Mountain Kdwanis Club.
(Mayor Dixon said Wednesday
that work on tire stadium field
house plans and specifications is
well underway.
When ready, the Mayor is au
thorized by the commission to
advertise for bids.
Mayor Dixon said the three
member stadium study commit
tee, authorized by the dity com
mission last week, will name its
own chairman.
He noted that Mr. .Moss is
experienced in stadium manage
ment in several cities, that Mr.
Rhea is a construction special
ist, and that Mr. Williams, in
! addition to his longtime interest
; in sports, is also a member of
the board of education, which
contemplates in the reasonably
near future building of a new
high school plant, with conjunc
tive Stadium facilities.
lOity Stadium was begun as a
Works Progress Administration
project prior to World War II.
Initial plans called for a field
house and permanent stands, but
the advent of the national emer
gency and subsequently United
States entry into World War IT
caused a cancellaitlon of the fed
eral appropriation and suspen
sion of work, with1 little more
than the playing field complet
ed. Several city administra
tions have made improvements,
including erection of permanent
and temporary bleachers. Short
ly after World War 13, the Ki
wanis Clulb made the city schools
a gift of the present stadium
lighting facilities.
The city rents the stadium on
a virtual cost-of-lights basis, with
the high school accorded first
rental priority and the Otis D.
Green Post 155, American Le
gion, second rental priority.
Dr. Plonk Heads'
Gaston McGills *'*
Dr. George W. Plonk, Kangs
Mountain surgeon, was ele< ’t<'t
president of McGills of Gaston
at the clan’s annual reunion Wed
nesday at Bethel ARP Church
arbor off Cherryville road.
The clan re-elected Norman F.
McGill Jr., vice-president, and
Mrs. Marriott D. Phifer, secre
tary. Both ax-e of Kings Moun
tain. Dr. Plonk succeeds Miss
Jean McArver of Gastonia.
Rev. George Moore, pastor of
Resurrection Lutheran Church,
addressed the clan and declared"
‘A sense of belonging is one of
the most important needs of the
soul”
Jle suggested that all need to
feel the clan relationship, par
ticularly in the current times
of need and distress, and not
merely annually.
Mr. Moore said the family is
the basic dan unit, that the
church is the next dan and the
state the third clan.
Mrs. Bari Carpenter, chair
man of a committee to revise and
up-date a clan historical book
let, said work is underway on the
revision of the booklet which was
published in 1940. Other members
are Miss MtaArver, Miss Ava
Ware. Miss Annie Lee Wolfe and
Miss Nancy Plonk.
Members of the clan are de
scendants of the late John Thom
us McGill.